Feslalí 2026
The carob: a crop with a past, present, and future
Alcalalí Town Council Promotes a Future Strategy for the Recovery of Carob Farming
Alcalalí Town Council has spearheaded the creation of the “Prospection, Recovery and Viability Study on the Commercialisation of Carob”, a strategic document framed within municipal policies for rural development, sustainability, and local economic revitalisation.
This initiative reflects the council’s commitment to planning the recovery of traditional crops with rigour and a long-term vision, viewing them as key elements for territorial balance, landscape preservation, and the diversification of the local economy.
The study is based on a reality shared by many rural municipalities
The progressive abandonment of farming, the loss of profitability in the countryside, and a lack of generational renewal.
Given this scenario, we consider it essential to adopt a proactive approach to identify real opportunities for economic reactivation linked to the territory’s own resources.
The Carob
In this context, carob emerges as a strategic crop due to its historical roots, its excellent adaptation to the environment, and its growing demand in both national and international markets.
As the first visible step of this municipal strategy, the Council has launched a process to raise awareness and highlight the product’s value through the Feslalí programme, which, in its tenth edition, has placed carob at the heart of the festival.
This decision stems from the desire to connect culture, gastronomy, and the land with a future-oriented economic vision, using an established event as a tool for dissemination, promotion, and generating social interest in this traditional crop.
Support for the agricultural sector
The production of this document serves a clear objective: to provide the municipality with a technical and strategic tool to inform future public decisions, guide support policies for the agricultural sector, and facilitate the launch of collective projects.
The study rigorously analyses Alcalalí’s agro-climatic conditions, the evolution of the crop over the last decade, economic viability across different scenarios, and opportunities for the commercialisation and valorisation of the product.
The local agricultural sector
We have opted for a participatory approach, incorporating the views of the local production sector and, particularly, the Societat Agrària de Transformació (SAT Llauradors d’Alcalalí), as a key stakeholder in any reactivation strategy.
This public-private partnership is seen as a fundamental pillar to ensure that future actions are realistic, shared, and sustainable over time.
The study’s conclusions
The study’s conclusions highlight that Alcalalí possesses significant potential to establish carob farming as a cornerstone of sustainable rural development.
The recovery of agricultural land, the improvement of profitability through cooperation and the generation of added value, and the linking of the product with local identity and territorial promotion are identified as strategic lines of action.
With this initiative, Alcalalí Town Council reaffirms its commitment to a development model based on sustainability, the promotion of agricultural heritage, and the creation of economic opportunities linked to the land.
The study is conceived as a starting point to move forward, in a planned and consensual manner, towards a future project that strengthens the municipality’s resilience and contributes to keeping its landscape, farming culture, and identity alive.
Prospection, Recovery and Viability Study on the Commercialisation of Carob
Sunday the 1st
“The carob tree: an identity crop forming part of the landscape and collective memory of the municipality”
10.00 am – Departure from the town square
Getting to know the carob tree
Field trip with the “SAT Llauradors d’Alcalalí” (Farmer’s association).
12.00 pm – Ethnological Museum
(C/ Porxe, 33)
Talk on “Recovery and viability of the commercialisation of the carob” by Jaume Mora Pedrós, economist, native of the Marina Alta, based in London.
1.00 pm – Ethnological Museum
(C/ Porxe, 33)
Tasting of products made with carob.
